Saturday, March 8, 2008
Medical → Mark Tatum... "the man without a face"
Mark Tatum (1956 - 26 February 2005) was an American man from Kentucky, who became known as "the man without a face" after he became in 2000 the victim of a very aggressive facial fungal infection (Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis). To save his life, doctors had to remove his eyes, nose, upper jaw and all surrounding bone and tissue which meant that he literally lost his face.
Tatum was a medical phenomena due to the fact that he survived the infection. Later he got a prosthetic face and he underwent surgeries so he could eat, drink and speak again. Due to his extreme experience, Tatum was highly profiled in the media (Ripley's Believe it or Not). He was a courageous individual who served as a symbol of strength for the thousands of people who have lost their health.
Rhinocerebral phycomycosis, commonly referred to as mucormycosis, is a rare but serious opportunistic infection of the sinuses and brain caused by saprophytic fungi. No reports document survivors of mucormycosis before 1955. (Amphotericin (anti-fungal antibiotic) became available in the 1950s.) Survival rates among groups of patients with invasive sinus disease without cerebral involvement may be as high as 50-80%. The mainstay of therapy is extensive debridement of all infected and necrotic tissue.
Your Comments
| This girl |
| I was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes January 17,2001. My mother found me unconcious in the bath tub and eventually took me to the hospital(crazy-brazillian woman was convinced I would "come around" on my own!) when I woke up in the hospital bed my left eye was so swollen I couldn't open it all. I was released from the hospital a few days later only to be called back in, three days following my discharge, due to the results of the culture they had taken. |
| 2011-07-26 12:13:59 |
| This girl |
| At eleven years old, mucormycosis sounded like a super power. However, after over six weeks of amphotericin B, two surgeries to erradicate the infection from my sinus cavity, near renal failure, and complete confusion as to why everyone was always so sad around me, I decided that if it was in fact a super power... It sucked. I was sent home with a very poor prognosis. They advised my mother to "make me comfortable " saying there was little else they could do. Fortunately, I am as stubborn as they come. |
| 2011-07-26 12:13:04 |
| This girl |
| Now, at age 23, you wouldn't think a thing of walking past me on the street, giving me your order in a restaurant, or asking me "which way to Mr. Gregory's Intro to Lit?" My mother always calls me the "rare bird" and until reading this mans story, I never understood why. I never appreciated how lucky I was to pull through the whole ordeal, let alone make it out without any noticeable scarring |
| 2011-07-26 12:11:26 |
| This girl |
| Someone was looking out for me, and it wasn't my mother(who came to see me in the hospital an entire two times throughout my almost three month hospital stay) so to those of you denying God(whatever your meaning may be) has anything to do with the many miracles that bring ordinary people out of impossible situations, all I have to say is this; you obviously haven't been there. |
| 2011-07-26 12:10:27 |
| Viewing the world |
| IT'S REALLY MESSED UP WHAT PEOPLE GO THROUGH IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES... |
| 2011-07-18 01:05:15 |
| Freddy Krueger |
| Makes me almost want to smile, reading such a "Happy" story. |
| 2011-06-18 02:08:01 |
| bella mortis |
| thats a real story of courage and love |
| 2011-06-08 19:34:46 |
| Melanie |
| Glad he survived and I think it's so sweet and romantic that his wife stood by his side. The new face looks pretty good - it's horrible he lost some of his senses, though. I think this gives people perspective, the good kind. OMFG why is Brian Peppers in the pic series? |
| 2010-12-29 08:43:01 |
| dman |
| i not even mad |
| 2010-12-09 17:41:28 |
| dr.ana |
| yo no entiendo xq se burlan de el mientras q personas lloran y kieres morirse por pequeñeses el enfro todo como un valiente de los cuales ya no hay... desgraciadamente el murio en el 2005 pero sobrevivio a la enfermedad y a las burlas durante 5 años. me impacto saber de el y x eso ya no me deprimire por pequeñeces. |
| 2010-12-05 01:17:25 |
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